Lost Fish!

[Emma1984]

Hi,
I'm really bad at this, but hopefully with experience i'll get better. As i said above, i have lost a fish.
It was there last night when i went to bed and this morning it has gone. It's a male, (or so i was told.)
guppy that looked very pregnant. But looking at past forums i'd say that maybe it has had dropsy but apart
from getting fat there has been no other symptoms. I've just added 2 new loaches to my tank, a bi-orb The small one, 30l i think. I've got 2 guppys as well. One of which has gone. I more worried about the others getting ill as well if it is dropsy. Any advice you could give would be really appreciated. My waters levels are all fine i've got 2 live plants in there and a few snails which i'm fighting an on-going war with. Please help!!!

 

[ash]

i thought the same with a guppy, turned out he was hiding right out of sight, they seem to be rather shy fish at first (well mine do), i'm sure he'll turn up soon! as for the dropsy, i'm no expert atall (newbie!) but my guppy has been getting fat since i bought him and he seems alright

 

[Emma1984]

i thought the same with a guppy, turned out he was hiding right out of sight, they seem to be rather shy fish at first (well mine do), i'm sure he'll turn up soon! as for the dropsy, i'm no expert atall (newbie!) but my guppy has been getting fat since i bought him and he seems alright

Hi Ash
When i say disappeared, i mena gone! He wasn't a new fish, i've had the guppys for about a year now and normally chases his buddy around. There's been no sightings of him all morning and i'm starting to think the worst although i can't find him anywhere. WIll have to have a proper delve in the tank later if he doesn't turn up.

 

[catxx]

i have heard stories of fish getting buried and trapped and dying in the crap substrate of bioorbs. what kind of loaches have you added? 30l is too small for loaches really.

 

[Emma1984]

i have heard stories of fish getting buried and trapped and dying in the crap substrate of bioorbs. what kind of loaches have you added? 30l is too small for loaches really.

Hi,
They were supposed to be Khuli loaches. The shop told me that they wouldn't grow much bigger than they are now. On further inspection though i think one is a flying fox and the other something else. They also told me that my tank could take them. It wouldn't surprise me if they were wrong though!

 

[catxx]

there are lots of fish that look like the flying fox
see this thread:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=134788

30litres is only 7 US gallons, which is super tiny in tank standards, and bioorbs hold even less fish than traditional rectangle tanks owing to their shape, small at the top, small at the bottom, little substrate at the bottom, little surface-air at the top.

 

[Emma1984]

I see what you mean. Does that mean that my tank is crap? I've only got the now 1 guppy and 2 loaches, or whatever they are in it. What would be the best fish then? I think it might be a fake flying fox as there is a line along it but it isn't prominent like yours.

 

[catxx]

the general concensus on this forum in regards to bioorbs, is they're over-priced and rubbish. sorry! especially the tropical ones, nothing but trouble. i considered one when i was getting into fishkeeping, was quickly steered away!

because of their bowl shape they're only suitable for small mid-level fish that aren't too active. there aren't many of those! and as it is only 7 gallons, that cuts down your choice again to only a few species. just the guppies can be ok, but really it's a bit tiny for them, i'm no guppy expert though, as long as you don't get girls (who will give you babies that you definately don't have room for) they may be ok.

i suspect your guppy may have died, fallen into the substrate, and been eaten, they deteriorate REALLY quickly once they've died.

 

[Emma1984]

I wish i'd gone on one of these before i bought it! I got it as a present for my husband last year to replace our other tank. The fish seem happy in there though the guppy is quite active but i think is missing his pal. Will not put any more fish in tere then as don't want to upset the ones i have got. However may possibly get another guppy just to keep the numbers even.
I hope the dead one hasn't been eaten as it was showing signs of dropsy and i don't want them all to become ill. Any tips on what to do?

 

[catxx]

have a look in the gravelly bit and see if he did get buried, and in any filter parts as well, and keep a close eye on the other fish in case it was sickness, a water change would be good too, dead fish boost ammonia levels.

 

[Emma1984]

Will get the other half to have look later. He deals with all that stuff unless he's away. Thanks for the advice. Will keep a close eye on my 3 remaining babies! Speaking of which my little'un in a crap mood due to weather so best go and distract her.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Will get the other half to have look later. He deals with all that stuff unless he's away. Thanks for the advice. Will keep a close eye on my 3 remaining babies! Speaking of which my little'un in a crap mood due to weather so best go and distract her.

Dropsy is not an infectious condition in itself, it's sort of like the last stage- organ failure which makes the organs swell due to water retention, but it can be brought on by a number of infectious diseases, like bacterial infections. Small fish can perfectly well dissolve/get eaten overnight, so this may well have happened.